


second wind

by associate



Category: HELIOS Rising Heroes (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Birthday Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, vague main story spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27483352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/associate/pseuds/associate
Summary: Keith hasn't exactly forgotten how...enthusiasticDino can get about birthday celebrations, but he seems to be a lot more intense this year. Well, can't blame the guy.
Relationships: Dino Albani/Keith Max
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	second wind

**Author's Note:**

> sad that we won't get to see dino bday lines for keith and brad until next year 😔 accept this humble offering in its stead (the "ambiguous" relationship is 10th class 3p, or as scholars refer to it: binth)

Keith blinks open his eyes to a haze of pink and blue.

"Happy birthday, Keith!"

"How long were you hovering over me watching me sleep?"

Dino moves out of his line of sight with a laugh, and Keith suppresses a groan at the sudden influx of light. "Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like a creep," Dino calls out from somewhere across the room. The lights go out with a click then, after a slight pause, the mattress creaks as Dino plops down besides him in bed, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "C'mon, Keith, it's your special day, you can't just sleep it all away."

Keith bats Dino's hand away lazily before lacing their fingers together. "Didn't we already do enough last night? We don't have to make a day out of it."

"But it's your birth _day_ not your birthnight! It didn't count at all. It's not like we could have a real party after curfew without Jack breaking down the door. Besides," Dino continues, a cheery lightness entering his voice, "drinking until you pass out doesn't count as a proper celebration if you're always doing it."

"Yeah, yeah, says the guy that bust out a six pack at 12 sharp. I'm sure Brad'll already give me an earful later, whenever he bothers to hunt me down." Keith squints at the light still leaking through their blinds. "Kind of surprised he didn't bust down our door yet if it's already light out."

"Brad might've forgotten his own birthday, but I wouldn't let our esteemed mentor-leader let yours go by without any event." Dino gestures broadly with his free hand. "Courtesy of your co-mentor, West Sector has the day off patrols _and_ paperwork! He and Oscar-kun will run our patrol for the day since Brad has _'needed to evaluate the consequences of your poor performance in any case'_ or something like that. But—! I'm sure you know that's just how he says that he loves us."

"Whatever you say. Or he says. Whichever." If they have the day off anyway, Keith is tempted to go back to sleep, but a sidelong glance at Dino makes it clear he wouldn't let that stand. With a sigh of reluctance, Keith sits up and cracks his back as he stretches. "What about the rookies? You rope them into your party planning or did Faith manage to escape?"

"When Faith-kun got home this morning, he said he'd drop off your present before he went out for tonight. I'm letting him go this time, since last I checked Junior-kun was trapping him into some off-day training." That kid _really_ needs to learn how to take a break. But well, Keith's sure that's not the only reason why Faith is exempt from today's festivities, though Dino is kind enough not to get into it and Keith is tired enough not to beat a dead horse.

"Wonder what he got me? I don't want to explain shit to Brad if the kid's brought liquor."

Dino laughs at that. "Honestly, I think that Faith-kun might be more of a—what did you call Brad again?—a square than he likes to pretend. Thought it would _really_ be something if he had the same gifting sense as Brad did back at the academy."

Keith scoffs. "As if Brad's any better now. Well, I'll let him surprise me." He finally kicks off his blankets and moves to sit on the side of the bed with Dino. "There happen to be any brunch crammed in the fridge with Junior's Lunchables?"

"Even better," Dino announces, "I've brought you the finest hangover cure in all of New Million."

Keith levels an unimpressed stare at him. "Is it d—?"

"It is _not_ deep dish pizza from my favored haunt in South Sector, as glorious and greasy as it is, but I did get Junior-kun to use his employee discount to grab some choice dishes from Uncle Jim's." Keith's unimpressed expression fails to change. "Orrrrr if you're in the mood for something else while the rookies are out of the dorms, I can toss that in the fridge and toss on my old dress you were eyeing and whip something special up just for Master Keith."

Keith doesn't bother to suppress a snort. "It's a waitress outfit, not a maid dress."

"That's the point you're going to argue?" Dino asks, eyebrows raised in exaggerated shock.

"If you want to handle whatever fit Junior'll throw when he comes back to that kind of scene after Faith inevitably ditches him, be my guest."

Dino pretends to think about it as he hops onto his feet and pulls Keith off the bed. "I think I'll save it for a different occasion. I have plenty of other exciting plans for today."

"Like feeding me room-temperature diner food that Junior probably dropped on his way back to the tower?"

"Well _I_ think there's some romance in that," Dino protests, "a kind of domestic intimacy."

"I want to see you try that argument after presenting Brad with soggy order of large fries."

Dino flaps his hand dismissively as he continues to shuffle Keith towards the door. "Brad is Brad, Keith is Keith. You wouldn't want me to wine and dine you the standard way. Though if you do, I can get some last-minute reservations for a fancy restaurant after we finish our wild tour around town!"

Keith stops in the doorway and leans against the frame. "I dunno how literal you're being about that, but we don't have to cram that all in at once. Maybe spread it across a few of our days off, y'know?"

Dino takes a breath and leans against Keith in turn. "Yeah, I do know. I still feel like I need to make up for lost time."

"Hey, no matter what insults the brats sling at us, we're not even thirty yet. You've still got a few more decades to drag me around." A pause. "Provided our arteries haven't clogged by then."

Dino smacks Keith's shoulder a tad too hard. "Hey, we're not dead yet!" He softens as he rubs Keith's back. "I can scale some things back if you're not feeling up to it after brunch, but like, let me do some nice things for you, alright? Today and always." Keith feels like it'd be too cheesy, too out of character to say that having Dino here with him is already the best gift he's received in years, but as Dino leans even closer, he has a feeling that he already knows.


End file.
